Midterms are finally starting to finish and the semester is ramping up for the home stretch. Just as midterms are ending, SGA is starting to look to the next term of office for elected leadership in the executive and representative branches.

 “I think through involvement, the individual student has a great chance to learn and grow outside of the classroom,” SGA President Jesse Westerhouse said. “Involvement can teach you great skills such as teamwork, communication, responsibility and time management. I know for me personally, involvement has been extremely important and has helped me grow a ton.”

Information sessions for students interested in any SGA elected positions will be held Nov. 7, 8 and 10 at 8 p.m. in Student Center Room 2218. “These are a great opportunity to hear more about the elected positions as well as the campaign process,” said SGA Executive Director of Elections Lucy Anne Link.

In order to run for elected positions (president, vice president, treasurer, college president, college vice president, or senator), students must submit a declaration of intent to AUinvolve by 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18. “Declarations of intent serve the purpose of candidates agreeing to abide by all university and SGA policies and ensuring they meet the qualifications which are outlined in the SGA Code of Laws, which is available on the SGA website,” Link said.

“SGA Senate is made up of 34 senators representing each school and college,” Link said. “They hold weekly meetings that are open to the public, and they serve on committees within Senate to improve the student experience.”

“School’s Council is a group of representatives from each school serving as president or vice president of their school’s council group,” Link said. “These positions are intended to give students a voice within their school or college as well as within SGA.”

All student organizations, sororities, fraternities and residence halls may nominate a junior female student for Miss Auburn. Organizations that want to nominate a candidate for Miss Auburn must choose their nominee by Monday, Nov. 7, and nomination forms must be submitted to AUinvolve by 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11.

You or your friends could be among the next set of leaders on campus, and SGA highly encourages each and every student to participate in the democratic process. Students can find details on the 2017 spring elections at auburn.edu/sga/elections.

“SGA is a great way for students to get involved in the community,” Westerhouse said. “It is a real way for students to serve, promote and unify their fellow students and give back to the university as a whole.”